Employment Minister visits JTL Hull to meet apprentices and employers

  Posted by: electime      18th February 2026

Dame Diana Johnson, Minister for Employment and MP for Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham, visited JTL’s training centre in Hull to mark National Apprenticeship Week and meet apprentices and local employers to discuss how the government can strengthen apprenticeship opportunities across the region.

Established over 30 years ago by the Electrical Contractors’ Association and Unite the Union, JTL is a not-for-profit Independent Training Provider delivering Level 3 electrical and plumbing apprenticeships across England and Wales. Working with thousands of employers and training thousands of learners at any one time, JTL trains more apprentices in the building services engineering sector than any other provider.

The Hull training centre plays an important role in supporting skills development across the Humber region, helping to address local skills shortages while contributing to wider national priorities, including housebuilding and clean energy ambitions.

During her visit, the Minister toured the centre’s training facilities and met with electrical and plumbing apprentices to hear about their experience. Accompanied by JTL’s Chief Executive, Chris Claydon, Director of Finance and Corporate Services, Gillian Day, the North East Head of Delivery, Roosevelt Alexander, and others in the operations team, she spoke with learners about their routes into the sector. This included the motivations and challenges faced by female apprentices entering traditionally male-dominated industries and the work that JTL is doing to support diversity in the trades.

The Employment Minister then sat down with a group of 11 local electrical and plumbing employers – the majority SMEs, to hear first-hand their business priorities and the challenges they face both in the current economic climate and with the skills system. Employers raised particular challenges around the rising cost of employment and how to improve apprenticeship completion rates.

The importance of promoting apprenticeships in schools was also highlighted, with attendees noting the need to ensure technical routes are given equal recognition and visibility.

Following her visit, Dame Diana Johnson MP said: “It was a real pleasure to visit JTL Hull and meet apprentices and employers from across the region. Apprenticeships offer a strong route into skilled, secure jobs and are vital to building the workforce our economy needs.

“It was particularly valuable to hear directly from apprentices about their experiences, and from employers about both the opportunities and the challenges they face. Conversations like these are essential as we continue working to ensure the employment system supports businesses and creates genuine opportunities for young people.”

Chris Claydon, Chief Executive of JTL, said: “We were delighted to welcome Dame Diana Johnson to our Hull training centre and to facilitate constructive discussions with apprentices and employers from across the region.

“High-quality apprenticeships are essential to meeting the UK’s infrastructure, housing and net zero ambitions. However, to boost starts and improve completion rates, we must continue to remove barriers for employer, particularly small and micro businesses, and ensure apprenticeships are promoted as a first-choice route for young people.

“We appreciate the Minister taking the time to listen to the experiences of both apprentices and employers and look forward to continuing to work together to strengthen the skills pipeline.”